


Three Little Words

by StellarLibraryLady



Series: Stellar Flash Fiction [16]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bickering, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, beginning relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 02:24:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11004027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarLibraryLady/pseuds/StellarLibraryLady
Summary: Forever bickering, McCoy and Spock realize in a crisis what they really feel for each other.





	Three Little Words

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Trek Ficlets from Tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8195122) by [TAFKAB](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TAFKAB/pseuds/TAFKAB). 



> Inspired by Chapter 20.

“You guys wanna give it a rest?” Kirk demanded. He was tired of listening to the constant bickering. And this current squabble, whatever in the hell it had been about, was getting really old the longer it lasted.

McCoy stood with his arms crossed, fire flying out of his eyes, and just daring Spock to speak. Spock was holding his emotions together, and he was being, oh, so haughty and bored.

Why in the hell did they put themselves through all this angst if it was going to affect them so much?

It needed to be finished.

“Spock, stop baiting him,” Kirk mumbled and knew it would burst the illusion of all of their bickering.

It did more than burst an illusion. It shattered a whole literature that the two combatants had carefully built up together over a long time. For it undermined the foundation of their love/hate relationship.

Kirk’s remark registered with Spock more than anything that McCoy had ever said. Visible pain flickered in Spock’s eyes, and his mouth dropped open. 

But the surprise was McCoy. His eyes narrowed with anger, not triumph. McCoy was getting all defensive and protective for Spock!

That’s when Kirk knew he’d made a mistake. He should’ve let them handle it, and just let the bickering wash over him as it had always done. Generally it was just background noise, but today was different. He had a minor headache or needed caffeine or fresh air or a change of topic or a bowel movement or something. He hadn’t intended a complete change of paradigms, but that’s what he got with those three little words. Even the air in his quarters seemed different.

“I've never hurt him like that!” McCoy thundered. “He wasn’t expecting something like that from you! Me, yeah! But not you! You’re supposed to be his friend!” With that, McCoy barreled out of Kirk’s quarters.

“Spock, I, I’m sorry,” Kirk finally said in the ringing quiet that followed McCoy’s departure. “You know that I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You were frustrated, Captain. Your reaction was understandable.”

“I know that both of you were arguing, not just you. Sometimes it hurts to watch you go through all that trauma.”

“I expect that--”

An explosion roared through the ship. It sounded close.

Spock‘s eyes widened. “Doctor!” 

Spock charged through the door. Kirk was right behind him.

Smoke was in the corridor in the direction that McCoy would've taken toward the turbo lift. As Spock and Kirk raced toward the source of the smoke, other people were also headed that way.

McCoy was on his knees tending to a crewman.

“Bones!” Kirk demanded.

McCoy’s head snapped up. A frown and trickling blood were on his face. “I’m busy!”

“But you’re injured, too!”

“It’s nothing! Guards! Get this man to sickbay!” He stood.

“What happened?”

“There was an explosion right ahead of me. Then I found myself on the floor.” He glanced at Spock. “Why the hell are you so pale?! You're the color of wilted celery.”

“Are you certain that you are uninjured, Doctor?”

“Well, now that you mention it,” McCoy mumbled as his knees buckled.

Spock scooped him up in his arms.

“What the hell?! Put me down, Vulcan!”

“You will head for the floor again. I will not allow that.”

“And I will not allow you to pack me around like a bale of hay!”

“You are injured, and I will take care of you.”

“What the hell?! If I’m so damn injured, and I’m not, by the way, then take me to my own sickbay where I will receive qualified care!”

“You are getting specialized care,” Spock muttered as he carried McCoy away from the blast area.

“Jim! What the hell?! Tell this idiot to put me down!”

“I believe that he will, Bones,” Kirk confirmed as he trailed the two men. “Just as soon as he reaches his own quarters.”

Inside, Spock headed for his bed with McCoy.

“Don’t put me down on that clean bed! I’m dirty!”

The next moment found him deposited among the bedding.

“Might as well saved my breath,” McCoy muttered as he watched Spock head for the bathroom. “Don’t leave me alone with that crazy bastard!” he begged Kirk.

“I will care for him," Spock told Kirk. "You will want to investigate the explosion.”

“Jim!”

“If he was seriously injured, he would not be complaining.”

“Spock does have a point.”

“Yeah. Two of them. At the top of his ears.”

“You’re right, Spock. I do have other duties.”

“Hey!”

"I am your doctor now," Spock said as he scrubbed McCoy's face through protests. Finally, he finished. “You will heal. No major injuries.” He carried the used linens to the bathroom.

“You didn’t have to be so rough,” McCoy grumbled as Spock settled on the bed beside him.

“I did what I had to do.”

McCoy stirred. “I’ll go to my own bed now.”

“You will stay, and I will watch you.”

“Whatever. You’ll do what you want to, anyway.”

"That is correct.” With that, he stretched himself out and lay beside McCoy.

"Hey!"

Spock pulled him close.

“What the hell?!” McCoy stiffened. “What are you doing?!”

“Let me hold you. Please. I must touch you,” Spock whispered. “You scared me. I thought that I had lost you.”

That’s when McCoy realized that Spock was trembling.

McCoy's fingertips gently brushed Spock's cheek. “You’d have to do a lot to lose me, Vulcan,” he murmured, then hugged Spock. “You won’t win our argument that easily. I’m not going anywhere."

"You said that we are not friends."

He had! "Then you thought I'd been killed. Sorry. What a legacy of pain I would've left you. No wonder you're hurting." He gently kissed Spock's temple. "Now, hold me closer, and I'll show you that we're friends. Then we might find that we're more than friends. And that's alright, darlin.'”

More than friends, McCoy thought. Those are three words, too.

McCoy grinned softly.

So are "I love you."

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing of Star Trek, its characters, and/or its story lines.


End file.
